Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,362

me around. The crowd cheered as I nipped at his bottom lip, and when he set me down, I made quick work of adjusting my dress and accepting the flowers around him.

The next part of the ceremony was to hand out the rings. It was a last minute addition, so I surprised them by working around the circle and giving them out. I briefly explained to Maverick and Cyler what Jules had created for them, and watched as they mouthed teary thanks at her from across the ceremony.

The last part was something my guys and I planned but hadn't told anyone about. On the front row, Payne was sitting cross-legged on a blanket, staring in awe at everything in front of him. I was surprised at how well he behaved during the ceremony. We broke the circle, and I walked over before crouching lower to be eye level. “Hey, big guy, I need you for this part,” I said before holding out my hand for him to take. We all walked back towards the center of the ceremony, and I bent low to ask Payne the question I’d been dying to ask.

“Payne, you know we all love you very much, right?” I asked.

He eagerly nodded in response before blurting out. “I know you love me ’cause you make me cake,” he replied proudly. Everyone laughed, and I had to bite my tongue to hold back my own chuckle.

“How would you feel about officially being a member of our family, a...Black?” I asked. For some reason, I was nervous about this. What if Payne didn’t want to be a part of this? I’d respect him and help him find a home that he felt comfortable in, but I really wanted him to feel comfortable with us.

He glanced at Hope in Bowden’s lap then back at me. “Like how Uncle Thurst and Uncle Bowden made Hope their family?” he asked.

“Exactly like that, kid,” Huxley answered for me.

Payne took a long look around the circle, his grin growing as he landed on everyone. “Okay. Let's be a family,” he finally said before jumping up and down. At his answer, we all joined for a big group hug, and I never had in my life felt more complete.

I had my men. I had Payne. I had dreams for the future and an appreciation for the past. I was finally free.

Soul of the Elite

Jules

The musty scent of manure and body odor filled my nose as I crushed my once manicured nails into the soft earth. It was miserably hot, and sweat gathered on my neck, making my black hair cling to my sweaty, salty skin.

I sighed loudly, hoping that, once again, the blonde—whose name I’d already forgotten—would help me finish my work for the day. Each gardener was assigned a section to manage, and my brothers assigned me the largest one with the least amount of shade. The stifling heat made me sick to my stomach. Every moment spent in the gardens felt like literal torture.

“Would you like some help?” my blonde, clingy, roommate asked while chewing on her brassy necklace. Brenda? Beth? She was pretty enough, for a Walker, but she was obnoxious and intrusive— two qualities I especially despised. Not to mention, she had an absolutely ridiculous crush on Kemper, and she made sure to bring it up every chance she got.

“That would be wonderful, Brandy,” I answered in a bored tone while picking dirt from beneath my nails. “After all, you got the smallest section, I suppose it’s only fair that you help with mine.” I looked over at her already-finished section and, once again, cursed my brothers for this ridiculous job.

“It’s Becca,” she mumbled while dragging her scythe over towards me.

Each day was the same; I woke up at the crack of dawn, ate a sad excuse for breakfast, then suffered through six sweltering hours of pretending to work until Becca came over and did it for me.

Most days, she worked slowly, soaking up each moment to chat with me about Kemper. Today, she moved with an energized purpose. At this rate, we might even be finished early, which meant I could claim the shower first.

“So…” she began while hunched over and inspecting the moisture in the wheat grain and squinting her eyes. “Are you and Kemper close?” She looked at me from the corner of her blue eyes. I knew she liked him. I also knew her little crush was the reason she was being so helpful. People rarely went